Plants of the Week

Grewia flavescens

Common names: sandpaper raisin, rough-leaved raisinbush, square-stemmed raisin (Eng.); skurweblaarrosyntjie (Afr.); mogwane (N. Sotho); loklolo (Swazi); nsihana, nc

Family: Malvaceae

The light green Grewia flavescens has beautiful, bright yellow, and sometimes fragrant flowers. It is a frost-resistant, hardy shrub or small...

05 / 11 / 2012 | M.S. Mothogoane | National Herbarium Pretoria

Grewia flava

Common names: velvet raisin, wild currant, brandybush (Eng.); rosyntjiebos, brandewynbos, wilderosyntjie (Afr.); mothetlwa (Nso.); umlalampunzi, unhlwampunzi (Zul.)

Family: Malvaceae

A hardy shrub or small tree up to ± 4 m high, it gives an impressive show of yellow, star-shaped flowers in summer. This tree is ideal to attract...

09 / 12 / 2019 | Benjamin Festus | Kirstenbosch NBG

Grewia caffra

Common names: climbing raisin, yellow starflower (Eng.); rankrosyntjie (Afr); ilalanyathi, umunyumunu, iphata, iklolo, isaka, isilandula (isiZulu); likholo, (siSwat

Family: Malvaceae

A multi-stemmed shrub or small tree with a climbing habit, often seen sprawling into nearby plants for support. It bears striking, yellow, star-like flowers...

04 / 10 / 2021 | Robert Jooste | Kirstenbosch NBG

Grewia bicolor

Common names: white raisin (Eng.); witrosyntjie (Afr.); umsiphane (Swazi); nsihana, guguna, nsihani (Tsonga); mogwane (Tswana); murabva (Venda); umlalampunzi, imdli

Family: Malvaceae

The bicoloured-leaved Grewia bicolor has beautiful, bright yellow flowers. It is a frost-resistant, hardy shrub or small tree that is adaptable...

10 / 09 / 2012 | M.S. Mothogoane | National Herbarium Pretoria

Graderia scabra

Common names: wild penstemon, pink ground-bells (Eng.); uvelabahleke (Xho.), impundu, isimonyo, ugweja, umphuphutho (Zul.)

Family: Orobanchaceae

The attractive pink flowers of Graderia scabra easily catch the eye, especially after veld fires. They belong to a small, semi-herbaceous, partly parasitic...

06 / 04 / 2020 | Tumelo Mofokeng | Pretoria NBG

Gossypium herbaceum subsp. africanum

Common names: wild cotton (Eng.); wildekatoen (Afr.); kotini (Xho.); litjinda (Swa.); ugampokwe, umgawuma (Zul.)

Family: Malvaceae

The wild cotton plant, Gossypium herbaceum subsp. africanum, is often only noticed when in fruit or when bearings its hibiscus-like flowers....

13 / 10 / 2014 | Mandisa Kondlo | Walter Sisulu NBG

Gorteria diffusa

Common names: beetle daisy (Eng.); katoog (Afr.)

Family: Asteraceae

Commonly known as the beetle daisy, Gorteria diffusa is characterised by intricate dotted patterns on the ray florets, placed around the central disk of...

12 / 08 / 2024 | Khanya Ntondini | Compton Herbarium

Gonioma kamassi

Common names: kamassi, Knysna boxwood (Eng.); kamassiehout (Afr.); igala-gala (isiXhosa)

Family: Apocynaceae

A small, unusual and rewarding, rounded, evergreen shrub with fragrant white or pale yellow flowers that are produced in small clusters at the ends of...

27 / 10 / 2014 | Sisanda Alakhe Velembo-Mhlauli | Kirstenbosch NBG

Gonialoe variegata

Common names: partridge breast aloe (Eng.); kanniedood, bontalwyn (Afr.)

Family: Asphodelaceae

This plant was previously called Aloe variegata. Gonialoe variegata is one of the best known, and most distinctive of the South African aloes. The characteristic...

30 / 06 / 2008 | Werner Voigt | Harold Porter NBG

Gonialoe genus

Common names: partridge aloes, partridge-breasted aloes, tiger aloes, variegated aloes (Eng.); bontaalwyne, bontbees, kanniedood aalwyne (Afr.)

Family: Asphodelaceae

The uniquely mottled and folded, three-ranked leaves of these miniature variegated aloes make them very popular for container gardening or as a point of...

17 / 10 / 2022 | Ronell R. Klopper | National Herbarium Pretoria

Gomphostigma virgatum

Common names: river star, otter bush, besembossie

Family: Scrophulariaceae

Gomphostigma virgatum is a beautiful, evergreen, perennial shrub that can grow up to 2,6m high....

03 / 12 / 2001 | Thompson T Mutshinyalo | Walter Sisulu NBG

Gomphocarpus physocarpus

Common names: balloon milkweed, balloon wild cotton, hairy balls, bindweed (Eng.); balmelkbossie, balbossie, wilde kapok (Afr.); umbababa, umbemiso, umangwazane, um

Family: Apocynaceae

Gomphocarpus physocarpus has striking yellowish, ball-like fruits and is an excellent butterfly plant, but it is poisonous if ingested; so keep it...

04 / 01 / 2010 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG

Gomphocarpus fruticosus

Common names: milkweed, wild cotton (Eng.); gansie, melkbos (Afr.); Lebegane (Sotho); Umsinga-lwesalukazi (Zulu)

Family: Apocynaceae

Gomphocarpus fruticosus is a herbaceous, perennial, spindly shrub, often with watery or milky sap. It has ovoid fruits (follicles) of a clear, pale green...

28 / 11 / 2005 | Alec Naidoo | Pretoria NBG

Gomphocarpus cancellatus

Common names: wild cotton (Eng.); bergmelkbos, bergtontelbos, dermhout, gansiesbos, katoenbos, melkbos, regopmelkbos (Afr.)

Family: Apocynaceae

Gomphocarpus cancellatus, wild cotton, is an elegant bush, which in the sterile state resembles a protea bush. The flowers are accumulated in dense...

14 / 04 / 2008 | Stoffel Petrus Pieter Bester | National Herbarium Pretoria

Gnidia triplinervis

See Lasiosiphon triplinervis...

01 / 01 / 2006 | | National Herbarium Pretoria

Gnidia squarrosa

Common names: saffron bush (Eng.); aandbossie, juffertjie-roer-by-die nag (Afr.)

Family: Thymelaeaceae

Gnidia squarrosa has attractive, multicoloured winter-spring flowers that will fill your garden with perfume in the evenings....

02 / 08 / 2004 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG

Gnidia pinifolia

Common names: pine-leaved saffron-bush, needle capesaffron (Eng.), aandbossie, juffertjie-roer-by-die-nag (Afr.).

Family: Thymelaeaceae

Gnidia pinifolia has showy, conspicuous, white blooms, all-year round, that will infuse your garden with a night scent....

07 / 02 / 2022 | Nomfusi Ntsobi | CREW

Gnidia kraussiana

See Lasiosiphon kraussianus...

26 / 01 / 2022 | | CREW

Gnidia denudata

Common names: furry saffron bush (Eng.); saffraan (Afr.)

Family: Thymelaeaceae

Gnidia denudata is an attractive bushy shrub with long hairs that gives an effect of silver-like foliage. Like any other Gnidia species, it has terminal...

02 / 02 / 2015 | Mpendulo Gabayi | Kirstenbosch NBG

Glottiphyllum regium

Common names: tongue-leaved mesemb (Eng.); tongblaarvygie, skilpadkos (Afr.)

Family: Aizoaceae

Glottiphyllum regium is a hardy, clump-forming succulent that produces masses of showy, large, yellow flowers from mid-winter until early summer....

22 / 03 / 2010 | Ian Oliver | Karoo Desert NBG

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